Arthritic Foot Soldiers
Arthritic Foot Soldiers formed in 2004 and have gone from strength to strength. Firmly in the old school punk rock camp the band have appeared on countless compilations and released various EP’s, albums and coloured vinyls. We caught up with the lads and had a quick chat with them about things…
Hey guys, welcome to Lights Go Out, first up can you introduce yourself and let us know what your role in the band is?
Carl: Guitar / Mandolin / Backing Vocals
Jonny: Lead Vocals
Bret: Bass guitar / Backing vocals
You guys formed in 2004, were you all in bands before then?
Carl: Yeah, Worm www.wormed.info
Jonny: Nope,AFS is the first band I’ve been in!
Bret: I’ve played in a lot of bands that have gone nowhere for one reason or another, I joined AFS a few months prior to recording the third Album. It’s a good outfit to be involved with, very productive and reet laugh to boot.
I know Carl plays in a few other bands like The Bullet Kings, does anyone else moonlight in other projects?
Carl: mmmm eerrr well The Great St Louis / Churchill, and done work for Bishi as well.
Jonny: I perform Punk Rock poetry under the guise of Jonny Maveriq.
Bret: I have a few side projects on the go like the other lads. Well, you can’t be in AFS unless you’re in a least 2 other bands. That would just be rude. In fact, collectively the members of the band make up around 15 other bands. Mental.
How would you describe the AFS sound to someone who hasn’t heard the band before?
Carl: Old school, “sing a long” with and catchy bits and a lot of odd influences like “muse”.
Jonny: Sex Pistols meets the better side of 80’s Street Punk.
Bret: It’s whatever you make it, we’ve had so many people trying to pigeon hole into a specific style that I don’t think it matters anymore. The bands has music has progressed and morphed so much over the past few albums that I’m not sure any of us know what’s going on half the time. The one constant throughout the all of the albums is Jonny’s vocal style, it keeps us true to the old school punk style and give the rest of us the choice of writing practically any style behind him (As long as its loud and heavy) .
And which bands would you say have influenced your sound?
Carl: For me the early AFS have been The Dickies, but now there isn’t a direct influence.
Jonny: The Clash/The Ruts/Sex Pistols/Bad Religion.
Bret: When I joined the band to write and record the third album, they had already made a decision to push the style of the music to a more metal sound. I have firm influences from early Rage against the machine and NIN so I just went with it.
You’ve been and recorded in America, how was that experience?
Carl: Bloody awesome really, so good to have your band with you in the states and record a new album.
Jonny: Cheesy as it sounds, a dream come true, 8 days of some of the best moments of my life.
Bret: Absolutely great, the pressures piled on you as a band, and individually to really push for a great recording. We also drank far to much beer which made the early mornings just a treat.
How did you hook up with Turkey Vulture Records?
Carl: That’s all my fault really, I answered an advert asking for bands for T.V. Records compilation CD’s, after a few submissions the labels owner and producer asked if we could work together, and when I was on a California skate trip we chatted on the phone and arranged for us to release our 3rd album with TVR, so anyone that says comp CD’s are a waste of time is missing the point they can get you all over the place.
Jonny: What Carl says!
You have a new album out in September, what can we expect from “Trash Vegas”?
Carl: Bigger better and damn sight more slick.
Jonny: Big songs, big choruses and even a couple of surprises.
Bret: Parts of it are very dark, sort of like being stuck down a well with no chance of getting out, erm, utter despair I guess. But it’s not all like that. We do a couple of positive ones too for the Mams and Dads.
You guys also did a split 7″ with The Bullet Kings, is vinyl an important format to you?
Carl: For me it’s a dream come true releasing vinyl (coloured obviously) since my school days seeing The Dickies release everything on coloured vinyl… it’s more of a promo thing, but still great to see your work on vinyl …. It’s a red vinyl next for AFS.
Jonny: Despite not having a record player for many years (shame on me), holding a piece of vinyl with our work on it was pretty special.
What are your thoughts on the whole downloading thing?
Carl: I’m not overly keen since you take tracks in isolation and I think bands record albums with artwork for a reason.
Jonny: Must admit to having been quite a prolific downloader, however lately my conscience has got the better of me and I’ve been buying music again for a while.
What can we expect from an AFS live performance?
Carl: A good mix off all 4 albums and EP’s. We try and play the songs as good as we do on record even down to the vocal harmonies.
Jonny: In ya face Punk Rock energy, a varied and lively set that will hopefully get your feet tapping.
Bret: As Carl say’s, we push ourselves to recreate the sounds produced on the albums. There’s nothing worse than watching a band you been into for years for the first time live and there shit. Disappointing you could say.
You guys also play acoustically, is this a big difference for you or an easy transition to make?
Carl: A massive difference, you cant hide behind the row of a band and you have to really re thing a lot of your songs to make them work, it has been great fun and got us out there to a difference audience.
Jonny: Quite easy for me I think, being the vocalist although I guess I do have to try and sing a little more in key on certain songs!
Bret. Playing acoustically is superb, it’s a chance to show people that we’re not afraid to strip the music back to the bones. It’s more challenging but sounds completely different.
What’s the punk scene like up in the North West of the UK and what bands should we keeping an eye out for?
Carl: Loads of bands here in the NW, so always a pile of gigs going on .. if not too many on the same night …. “3 Black Dwarfs” and “Sense Of Urgency” are two I really like.
Jonny: Good scene with lots of gigs but as always too few punters supporting the bands, current faves of mine are Rising Strike and The Kirkz.
Bret: It’s great, lots of little towns with lots of bands. There’s a lot more appreciation for live music up here.
You take your name from a quote from Sidewalk Skateboarding Magazine with reference to Middle Age Shred, can you tell us a bit about this project please?
Carl: Oh www.middle-age-shred.com ….started 10 years ago, just a few old guys skating that’s how Jonny found me and asked me to form a band, but MAS as we call it has got us all over the globe to skate India to California etc. etc. and that’s why the “Gnarly Dude!” started with all the skaters seemingly in bands.
Jonny: Yeah, strange that the only sport I was ever any good at as a kid should have brought me together with some of the nicest, craziest people I’ve met and helped me to form a Punk Rock band around 30 years after I thought it may be a good idea.
Where have been the best places to skate?
Carl: California pala pool ….. a dream come true.
Jonny: Hemsby Skatepark near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk in the 70’s, Bones Stockport in the 90’s for the awesome bowl.
Which band has been your highlight of playing a live show with?
Carl: That’s a difficult one .
Jonny: Played with so many good bands over the years it would be unfair to pick just one.
And if you could support one band, who would it be?
Carl: Either The Dickies or The Vapors.
Jonny: Then, The Ruts, Now, Bad Religion.
Bret: I’d probably have to say NOFX, legends.
How can people check out AFS and listen to some of your music?
Carl: Either the main site www.afs.me.uk
Jonny: Or the myspace www.myspace.com/arthriticfootsoldiers
Have you got any words of wisdom for our readers?
Carl: Remember people judge you by their own limitations.
Jonny: Follow your heart and do what you want how you want and when you want.
Bret: Don’t be afraid to push yourself in an uncomfortable direction, the more risks you take the more you learn.
And finally, the band are having a night in, what food would you have, what drinks would you have and what movie would you all choose to watch?
Carl: Curry / red wine / and a good sci fi or horror movie like Blade Runner or Daybreakers.
Jonny: Curry/Beer and Rude Boy or The Future is Unwritten.
Bret: Sausage egg and chips, 24 mini bottles of Sparbrau and a Japanese horror film.
Check the band out at their website here: www.afs.me.uk
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